Debates of October 18, 2005 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for Mr. Krutko, Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Member for Hay River South, delivered a rich inventory of issues that concern us about the corporation and the way it manages its mandate. Over time, they will, I am sure, get attention. The area I would like to focus on is one of governance, Mr. Speaker, and the mandate under which the Housing Corporation conducts the programs and the budgets that are before us. I wanted to ask the Minister with regard to the review of the Housing Corporation’s mandate, what is the status of the development of this new mandate? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Return To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, We are presently in the process of redefining the mandate of the Housing Corporation. As we all know, the social housing responsibility will be devolved to Education. We are preparing a presentation for Cabinet with regard to the mandate change which will be happening later on this week. Hopefully, we will have something to take to committee by the end of the month. We are hoping to be able to move forward on that. With the mandate change, we are hoping to see how we fit into the scenario of programs and services and, more importantly, focus on property management and development. So we are hoping to have that process completed by the end of this month. It is presently ready to go to Cabinet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Mr. Speaker, we’ve all been aware for some time now, in fact in the business plans that we looked at in the budget session earlier this year, that this review was underway. I haven’t heard very much about it. Housing is one of the most essential parts of our infrastructure here in the NWT. For the Housing Corporation to undertake a fundamental review of its mandate, I would like to think that they might have been talking to a few people. I haven’t heard very much about it though. So what kinds of consultations and stakeholder groups have been contacted about this mandate, and to what extent have those views been incorporated in the presentation now before Cabinet? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have made a presentation to the committee, but it was looking more at some of the guiding principles we are following. I made a commitment to committee that we will go directly to committee once the mandate has been approved through Cabinet. We are hoping to take this to committee within the next few weeks. It is going to Cabinet this week, and hopefully we can take it to committee next week, if that’s possible.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering why this particular Minister doesn’t get it, either. The committees and Members on this side are not the constituents or the clients of the Housing Corporation. There are some 23 local housing organizations administering 2,344 subsidized rental housing units. This is the constituency that the corporation should be talking with. We hear that Cabinet has to sign off on a mandate for the Housing Corporation before anybody else has the chance to talk about it. How can it be that this corporation has ignored the people who are really involved, and the real customers, in reviewing this essential mandate? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this process has included regional staff, people at our local housing authorities, and there has been information provided to front line workers to ensure they are aware of how we are going to devolve and include them through that process. So we have made attempts to meet with our local housing authorities, our district staff, and making sure that people in headquarters are aware of how we are going to roll out with regard to those new mandate changes. We have met with those different agents that we are responsible for.

I will also mention that this has been taking place over the last year with regard to the guidelines that we put forward. We all know that the mandate has changed with the decision to look at social housing being administered by Education. Because of that, we are now moving forward.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

So, Mr. Speaker, what I guess we can anticipate here is another piece of paper that Cabinet is going to approve -- I heard the word “approve” -- then it’s going to be passed over here for rubberstamping, I guess. To what degree is Cabinet going to control the overall review and acceptance of the Housing Corporation’s new mandate, or is this just another rubberstamp exercise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Krutko.

Further Return To Question 149-15(4): Status Of The NWT Housing Corporation Mandate Review

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this process, as I mentioned, has been going on for the last year. It’s not something that’s come up overnight. We have been working with the different boards and agencies, and also we are working with Education on how this is going to be laid out; how we are going to work with the different housing authorities; how we are going to deal with the management of the lands, the property that we have. We have not just brought this up overnight. It’s been in the works over the last year. I feel that Cabinet will have an in-depth review, and then we are committed to taking it to committee to ensure that they understand how this will work going forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.